“The time is always right to do what is right”

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Today would mark the 89th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and today we reflect on his legacy for nonviolent activism. Now, in the midst of a never ending mirage of “alternative facts” and discriminatory rhetoric (and policies), King’s ethos for resilience through resistance remain potently relevant—especially in the field of architecture.

Kansas City, situated in the middle of everywhere, is not immune to contentious divides based on race, class, gender identities, cultural heritage, and economics. Each time we, as architects, designers, curators, and fabricators, get outside our comfort zone and invite others to join, our work becomes more relevant and dynamic. The art and design communities are well equipped to ask the unanswered questions, make radical proposals for inclusivity, and find common ground in uncommon solutions. We are giving ourselves the day to honor the importance of these issues, and MLK’s fundamental contribution to helping break the chain of inherited thinking and action.

As we remember the importance of King and the role we play as designers in shaping cities and civic places of tomorrow, his quote, “the time is always right to do what is right” continues to ring true in the production of the built environment here and everywhere.